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JIMMY SMOTHERS: Awesome Man still playing ball

By Jimmy SmothersTimes Sports Editor Emeritus

Published: Sunday, November 25, 2012 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 23, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.

When some guys reach their 80th birthday, they have become old men. They sit around in easy chairs, watch television, eat cookies and drink milk. They are eager to tell their stories to anyone willing to listen. Then there are people such as Jerry Jones of Southside, aka Awesome Man.

Jones attended a huge surprise birthday party at his church. He looked like one of the youngest guys there, all slim and trim with a ready smile and eyes aglow. He stood around talking to a lot of old men until things officially got under way and he discovered he was the guest of honor.

Most of the people in attendance either played on baseball or softball teams with Jones, played on youth teams he once coached or had done both. They’d also had their day and were now happy to sit around and tell their stories, most of which included Jones.

Jones would listen and smile as the memories came back. But he had little to say, except about his team or some teammate, because his story isn’t finished. He still is playing softball on two teams in Over-80 Leagues. One is a local team based in Birmingham, but he primarily plays for a traveling team out of Venice, Fla. Last month that team wound up its summer season by winning the national championship tournament in Las Vegas.

Jones was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, getting a double, triple and home run in four at-bats. The home run came in the last inning with the score tied, two out and no one on base, giving his team a 10-9 victory. During the three years he’s played on this team, it has lost only one tournament.

This fall he is playing with a team in Fort Myers. Come February, his team will be competing in the “Tournament of Champions” at Lakeland, Fla.

Winning the MVP with his bat was an unusual accomplishment for a guy known primarily as a defensive player. But then, so is switching to the outfield at his age after a long career at first base.

“Most of the guys come up with bad knees by the time they reach 80 and can’t run much,” Jones said. “I’ve still got good knees and have no trouble running. So I switched to the outfield.”

That’s about all this quiet guy had to say about himself, other than to tell about playing on some Over-60 and Over-70 teams in Gadsden and talking about teammates on those teams.

The first baseball game he remembers was back before World War II.

“I was just a kid, 7 or 8 years old, but that game has stood out in my mind all these years,” Jones recalled. “They were playing in our neighbor’s cow pasture in Southside. Some of the players were Barney Hood, his brother, A.J. Jr., Fette Berry and Garrett Gwin. In the bottom of the ninth, Southside was behind by one run. Someone got on base and James Cassidy, who had to work that day, came to the game late and they put him in as a pinch-hitter. He hit the ball into the pine trees behind left field to win the game.”

Jones just loved the game of baseball, and by the time he graduated from high school, he was playing first base either for, or against, teams in every community in the area. He said he doesn’t remember them all, but there must have been more than 20.

He mentioned playing for Thurman Foster, who managed Black Creek, and meeting Barbara Black, who would become his wife. He talked about the teams at Southside, playing for Roy Lee Brown and against Rhodentown, Sand Rock and numerous other teams. He said Porter Gilbert at Geraldine was great and may have been the best pitcher he faced.

When sandlot baseball faded, he started playing softball and coaching youth league baseball. Both were fun, but as his sons grew up, he gradually stopped coaching and increased his play in softball. “It was more fun to play than to coach,” he said.

Jones would play in the local leagues in Gadsden and with traveling teams out of Atlanta.

Teammate Ron Pfeiffer said it always is fun to see the surprise on the faces of teams they are playing for the first time when Jones stretches his hits into extra bases because of his speed.

“Jerry is a testament of not judging a book (or softball player) by its cover,” Pfeiffer said. “Although he is a great softball player, that is not the thing that impresses me most. When I think of Jerry Jones, I think of a good man that lives out his Christian life; of a gentle man that keeps his calm in the midst of battle; of a man who lives out the meaning of sportsmanship.”

Another teammate, Joe “Doc” Smith, said creating bonds of friendship while playing ball together over the years has been exciting, but so has the unity that developed on the field. “When a long ball was hit to center field and I’d go out as the relay guy, Jerry always would put his throw right to the spot. He is a great player and it’s been a privilege to play on the team with him.”

Clark Kennedy, Glencoe, said a lot of older players would run into each other chasing fly balls, but not Jones. “He was a small guy and didn’t want to get run over, so he’d always yell to let everyone know where he was.”

Kennedy and Jones were on the same local mountain top team, and they traveled with Charlie Wheeler to play for the Georgia travel team. One of their teammates over there was Don Miola, a musician, who once had played in bands with Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. Jones said one of his saddest moments was when the team cut Miola, who had become a really good friend.

One of his most humorous stories wasn’t about playing ball, but about hunting.

Jerry, his brother Bill and their first cousin Howard once went to south Alabama to hunt turkey. Howard didn’t like to hunt, but just went along for the camaraderie. Early next morning, Jerry and Bill left the cabin in opposite directions; Howard went back to bed.

Jerry killed a bird quickly and went back to the cabin, where he and Howard decided to play a trick on Bill. They took the bird out a little way and almost hid it. Then Jerry went back in the woods and waited on Bill to return. When he did, the brothers walked back to the cabin empty handed. Howard met them at the door, still wearing pajamas.

As the brothers were telling their tale of woe, Howard picked up a rifle, said he saw a turkey and fired through the window. They all went out and Howard found the dead bird he had just shot. He had a good laugh, teasing Bill for hunting all morning and not getting a thing, while he stayed in bed then got a turkey out the window.

Jimmy Smothers can be reached at jmmys1@aol.com. His new book, “The Game,” may be purchased at The Gadsden Times’ customer service desk.

<p>When some guys reach their 80th birthday, they have become old men. They sit around in easy chairs, watch television, eat cookies and drink milk. They are eager to tell their stories to anyone willing to listen. Then there are people such as Jerry Jones of Southside, aka Awesome Man.</p><p>Jones attended a huge surprise birthday party at his church. He looked like one of the youngest guys there, all slim and trim with a ready smile and eyes aglow. He stood around talking to a lot of old men until things officially got under way and he discovered he was the guest of honor.</p><p>Most of the people in attendance either played on baseball or softball teams with Jones, played on youth teams he once coached or had done both. They'd also had their day and were now happy to sit around and tell their stories, most of which included Jones.</p><p>Jones would listen and smile as the memories came back. But he had little to say, except about his team or some teammate, because his story isn't finished. He still is playing softball on two teams in Over-80 Leagues. One is a local team based in Birmingham, but he primarily plays for a traveling team out of Venice, Fla. Last month that team wound up its summer season by winning the national championship tournament in Las Vegas.</p><p>Jones was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player, getting a double, triple and home run in four at-bats. The home run came in the last inning with the score tied, two out and no one on base, giving his team a 10-9 victory. During the three years he's played on this team, it has lost only one tournament.</p><p>This fall he is playing with a team in Fort Myers. Come February, his team will be competing in the “Tournament of Champions” at Lakeland, Fla.</p><p>Winning the MVP with his bat was an unusual accomplishment for a guy known primarily as a defensive player. But then, so is switching to the outfield at his age after a long career at first base.</p><p>“Most of the guys come up with bad knees by the time they reach 80 and can't run much,” Jones said. “I've still got good knees and have no trouble running. So I switched to the outfield.”</p><p>That's about all this quiet guy had to say about himself, other than to tell about playing on some Over-60 and Over-70 teams in Gadsden and talking about teammates on those teams.</p><p>The first baseball game he remembers was back before World War II.</p><p>“I was just a kid, 7 or 8 years old, but that game has stood out in my mind all these years,” Jones recalled. “They were playing in our neighbor's cow pasture in Southside. Some of the players were Barney Hood, his brother, A.J. Jr., Fette Berry and Garrett Gwin. In the bottom of the ninth, Southside was behind by one run. Someone got on base and James Cassidy, who had to work that day, came to the game late and they put him in as a pinch-hitter. He hit the ball into the pine trees behind left field to win the game.”</p><p>Jones just loved the game of baseball, and by the time he graduated from high school, he was playing first base either for, or against, teams in every community in the area. He said he doesn't remember them all, but there must have been more than 20.</p><p>He mentioned playing for Thurman Foster, who managed Black Creek, and meeting Barbara Black, who would become his wife. He talked about the teams at Southside, playing for Roy Lee Brown and against Rhodentown, Sand Rock and numerous other teams. He said Porter Gilbert at Geraldine was great and may have been the best pitcher he faced.</p><p>When sandlot baseball faded, he started playing softball and coaching youth league baseball. Both were fun, but as his sons grew up, he gradually stopped coaching and increased his play in softball. “It was more fun to play than to coach,” he said.</p><p>Jones would play in the local leagues in Gadsden and with traveling teams out of Atlanta.</p><p>Teammate Ron Pfeiffer said it always is fun to see the surprise on the faces of teams they are playing for the first time when Jones stretches his hits into extra bases because of his speed.</p><p>“Jerry is a testament of not judging a book (or softball player) by its cover,” Pfeiffer said. “Although he is a great softball player, that is not the thing that impresses me most. When I think of Jerry Jones, I think of a good man that lives out his Christian life; of a gentle man that keeps his calm in the midst of battle; of a man who lives out the meaning of sportsmanship.”</p><p>Another teammate, Joe “Doc” Smith, said creating bonds of friendship while playing ball together over the years has been exciting, but so has the unity that developed on the field. “When a long ball was hit to center field and I'd go out as the relay guy, Jerry always would put his throw right to the spot. He is a great player and it's been a privilege to play on the team with him.”</p><p>Clark Kennedy, Glencoe, said a lot of older players would run into each other chasing fly balls, but not Jones. “He was a small guy and didn't want to get run over, so he'd always yell to let everyone know where he was.”</p><p>Kennedy and Jones were on the same local mountain top team, and they traveled with Charlie Wheeler to play for the Georgia travel team. One of their teammates over there was Don Miola, a musician, who once had played in bands with Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. Jones said one of his saddest moments was when the team cut Miola, who had become a really good friend.</p><p>One of his most humorous stories wasn't about playing ball, but about hunting.</p><p>Jerry, his brother Bill and their first cousin Howard once went to south Alabama to hunt turkey. Howard didn't like to hunt, but just went along for the camaraderie. Early next morning, Jerry and Bill left the cabin in opposite directions; Howard went back to bed.</p><p>Jerry killed a bird quickly and went back to the cabin, where he and Howard decided to play a trick on Bill. They took the bird out a little way and almost hid it. Then Jerry went back in the woods and waited on Bill to return. When he did, the brothers walked back to the cabin empty handed. Howard met them at the door, still wearing pajamas. </p><p>As the brothers were telling their tale of woe, Howard picked up a rifle, said he saw a turkey and fired through the window. They all went out and Howard found the dead bird he had just shot. He had a good laugh, teasing Bill for hunting all morning and not getting a thing, while he stayed in bed then got a turkey out the window.</p>
<p class="italic font120">Jimmy Smothers can be reached at jmmys1@aol.com. His new book, “The Game,” may be purchased at The Gadsden Times' customer service desk.</p>